The next in a sequence of photographs which, if you know the area, kinda maps the route I took when out walking on the day they were made. There are a few gaps where I’ve omitted some of the shots from the roll (and, unless I change my mind, the next one will have a gap of half-a-mile or so from today’s).
I guess this image might have been improved by a person waiting at the stop, but no-one was in need of a bus at the time, so it’ll have to remain human-free.
Quiet roads of white Unused shelter sits empty Folks stay home instead
I’ve now managed a full month of haiku’s too. I’m not suggesting they’re good haiku’s, but haiku’s they are. 🙂
I made this picture about a minute after some idiot decided to put their foot down to overtake a slow moving tractor, thereby driving through a pile of wet, slushy snow on the side of the road closest to me and spraying it all up my legs in wet clumps. Lookily I’d worn some water resistant trousers and so the impact was reduced. Most people have grey matter inside their heads. Some people have brains resembling something of a different colour unfortunately.
Wet snow on wet roads Plumes of heavy slush made by Selfish car drivers
When we had a day of snow a couple of weeks ago, I made the effort to go out and make some photos. I had an excuse to go out as my wife had a birthday card that needed to be posted, plus it was a chance to get in my allowed exercise too.
I pondered which camera to take out, taking consideration of the fact that none of them are particularly weather-sealed. I wondered about the Zeiss folder at first, as I could easily drop that into a pocket, but the thought of big, wet flakes of snow landing on the bellows gave me pause. In the end I decided on the Holga. While I doubt it’s in any way water-sealed, it’s almost entirely plastic, so as long as I put it back in my bag between shots, I reckoned it would be ok.
The Holga gives very little control beyond zone-focusing and the ability to switch the aperture between f/8 and f/11, but that limitation also makes it very easy to use. I knew I’d keep it at the f/8 aperture setting, so it was just a matter of estimating the distance, framing the shot, and making the picture. The Holga is a genuine pleasure in this regard.
I walked around for about an hour and fired off all twelve frames on a roll of HP5+ and I think I have a decent number of keepers from the bunch. The fixed 1/100s shutter speed did a great job of capturing the movement of the falling snowflakes. As the day was heavily overcast (as you might expect during snow!) I decided to push the roll a stop during development, which I think was a good choice.
As the lockdown (and the demands of my Couch-to-5K plan) are limiting the chances to get out with the camera slightly, I’m rationing the photos a little, so they’ll be spread out over the next few days while I develop another roll of film I’ve shot and, hopefully, get out and make some more images this weekend.
Out posting a card Off to a friend of my wife On a snowy day
I’m sure I’ve posted other versions of this scene on the blog previously but can’t seem to locate them at the moment. Never mind.
This bridge crosses one of two sets of railway lines between the Trans Pennine Trail at Beighton and Rother Valley Country Park. You can see a photo of the other bridge here. In the space between them is a metal reclamation business and, just outside this, an area of open ground where the empty skips used by the business are kept. I’ve shown a number of pictures of this area recently.
The metal reclamation business used to be a traditional scrapyard, full of old junked cars stood atop one another in piles. It was possible to enter the scrapyard, find a vehicle that had useable parts, and then remove them and pay for what you’d recovered in the office beside the entrance. There used to be lots of scrapyards like this, but there seem to be very few of them around any longer. Whether this is down to the nature of modern vehicles, or some form of regulation / change in the law, I don’t know. They would make for a lot of interesting photos though, were I able to find one that allows access.
Nice little runners Consigned to metal graveyards Scavengers delight
A few days ago I posted another photo of this same scene. That shot was made on a heavily overcast day shortly after we’d had some snowfall. Today’s image is of the same scene made a few days later when all the snow had departed (although there was still a healthy crust of ice on most of the puddles) and the skies were clear allowing the sunlight to make some appealing contrasty shadows.
Time can seperate Many versions of a scene To marked effect
The current COVID-19 lockdown has once again restricted movement considerably. While I believe that short car journeys for the purpose of exercise are permitted (or at least tolerated – given the large number of cars I see parked close to the entrances of the nearby country park), I’ve been sticking to going only to places I can reach on foot. Given enough time, I could venture to a good number of places withing walking distance, although time isn’t always in ready supply due to work and other commitments, so I’ve mostly been staying within a mile or two of home.
The aforementioned country park and the surrounding areas still provide quite a lot of ground to cover though, and while exercise is the primary reason for going out, I’m still carrying a camera with me on these outings – well, with the exception of when I run as part of my C25K plan as, at this stage at least, I have neither the time not desire to make photos while attempting to jog! On days where I just go for a walk though, there is greater opportunity to grab photos.
I tend to find my local area quite uninspiring where photography is concerned, partly due to overfamiliarity, and also because the country park iteself feels a little bland and man-made in a way that open countryside doesn’t (even that land used for various other human activities such as farming or forrestry). However, in these times, “needs-must” takes the forefront and I will have to make do with what I can find. And what I’ve found is that some parts of my over-familiar local area are a lot less familiar than I previously thought, and a walk a few days ago opened up some locations that are full of potential due to my not having fully explored them before.
Even the places I’ve trod many times previously have promise though, and today’s shot is of nothing more extravagant than a tree-trunk stood beside the Trans-Pennine Trail. The section of the trail in question is oft-travelled by walkers, runners, cyclists and dog-walkers, especially at the weekend or in nice weather. Busy locations such as this tend to make me uncomfortable when making photos – I prefer solitude so I can take my time without getting in anyone’s way – but. again, “needs-must” and I shot most of a roll of film while out walking for an hour.
As with many of the photos I make taken in this former coal-mining area, there are signs of industry in one form or another, and in the case of today’s image, it’s the metal fence behind the tree, which prevents access to the railway line ten or fifteen yards beyond. I quite like the fence here though, despite it’s metal utilitarianism. It sets the scene of the place.
Upright spikes of steel Stand guard against trespass On train-tracks beyond
Another couple of lockdown camera portraits, this time my Fujica GW690. It’s a bit of a big beastie!
I’ve just got back from a run – my Couch to 5K journey began afresh this week now my calf is mostly better – and am feeling good about myself as a result of the exercise (such as is with week one of C25K at least!), and I can now hopefully have a relaxed Saturday evening and Sunday with no real plans other than catching up on some TV, maybe read for a while, and hopefully develop a roll of film to keep the blog fed with fresh pictures. 🙂
A pair of strong arms Can be of great benefit With Texas Leicas
Lockdown limitations mean I can’t go out to all the places I’d like and, while I intend to make the most of my closer surroundings, it also means I’m going to fall back on making pictures around the house as well sometimes. Old cameras, such as my Zeiss folder, make good subjects though.
A lens through a lens Vintage rangefinder of old Still working just fine
Steel City Snapper photography 